Electrical connector and expansion joint



April 16, 1968 A. B. HAWES 3,37

ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND EXPANSION JOINT Filed April 22, 1966 5 1 ,4 1 E51! a s W N-2e 42 Y LJI K I 4 Lz j United States Patent 3,377,960 ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR AND EXPANSION JOINT Alan B. Hawes, 8504 Seaview Ave., Wildwood Crest, NJ. 08260 Filed Apr. 22, 1966, Ser No. 544,560 4 Claims. (Cl. 104-118) This invention relates to an electrical connector and expansion joint which is especially suitable for use in coupling adjacent monorail sections together.

An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector and expansion joint which lends itself to coupling and uncoupling of adjacent monorail sections together, with ease and facility.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connector and expansion joint which is rigid in character, positive in action, and commercially feasible.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is an end elevational view of a monorail.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

' FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the assembly of FIGURE 2, illustrating one of the electrical connectors according to the present invention in coupled position, and one of such connectors in uncoupled position.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of the electrical connector and expansion joint according to the present invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, the numeral designates, generally, a monorail which consists, FIGURES 2 and 3, of sections 12 arranged in end-to-end relation. Each section 12 has an upstanding base 14, the base 14 having a horizontal surface 18. The horizontal surface 18 embodies a pair of laterally-spaced hollow tracks 20 which are fixedly-supported thereon and which are adapted for rolling engagement with drive wheels and rotatable supporting wheels of trucks carrying monorail coaches. Rising from the horizontal surface 18 between the tracks 20 is an upright member 22 which has opposed vertical surfaces 21 spaced from each other by laterally-disposed spacer insulated plates 24 disposed in the space between and secured to the vertical surfaces 18, the vertical surfaces being adapted for rolling engagement, at times, with horizontal guide wheels on the trucks carrying monorail coaches.

Insulators 26 arranged in longitudinal spaced relation are disposed within the space between the vertical surfaces 21 of each section 12 and are carried by the spacer insulated plates 24, the insulators, FIGURE 2, being affixed to insulated angles 27 which are carried by the spacer plates 24. A tubular conductor 28 extends longitudinally of each section 12 of the monorail 10, and has its ends inwardly of and adjacent the ends of the section. As shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, there are two tubular conductors 28 in the space between the vertical surfaces 21 of the two end-to-end sections 12 of the monorail 10*, and the complemental ends of the conductors 28 are inwardly of the adjacent ends of the sections 12, and the complemental ends of the conductor 28 of one section 12 are spaced from the complemental ends of the conductor 28 of the other section 12.

To couple the adjacent conductors 28 of the sections 12 of the monorail 10 together an electrical connector and expansion joint 30, according to the present invention, are employed. This joint 30 employs a first plug 32, and a 3,377,960 Patented Apr. 16, 1968 second plug 34 arranged in confronting end-to-end spaced relation with respect to the first plug 32, and means connects the first and second plugs 32 and 34 together for projectile and contractile movement relative to each other. The joint 30 spans the space between adjacent conductors 28, FIGURES 2 and 3, and has the first and second plugs 32 and 34 engaged in the ends of the adjacent conductors. The aforesaid means comprises a fixed tongue 36 which is carried by one of the plugs or the plug 32 and extends into the other of the plugs or plug 34, the other of the plugs or plug 34 being connected to the tongue 36 for projectile and contractile movement of the other plug or plug 34 relative to the one plug or plug 32. The tongue 36 rides upon a pin 37 which is supported in the bore 38 of the second plug 34 and engages a shoulder 39 formed on the under face of the tongue 36 to restrict the projectile movement of the second plug 34. As shown in FIGURE 4, the tongue 36 extends slidably into a bore 38 provided in the other of the plugs or plug 34, and spring means embodying a coil spring 40 is disposed within the bore 38 which engages the free end of the tongue 36, whereby the other of the plugs or plug 34 is connected to the tongue 36 for projectile and contractile movement of the other plug or plug 34 relative to the one plug or plug 32.

Projecting from the non-confronting end of the first plug 32 is a first stem 42 which, FIGURE 4, seats in and frictionally-engages the end of the adjacent end of the tubular conductor 28, and projecting from the non-confronting end of the second plug 34 is a second stem 44, the stem 44 seating in and frictionally-engaging the end of the adjacent conductor 28.

In operation, to uncouple the joint 30, according to the present invention, from the coupled position of FIG- URE 4, an outwardly-directed force is applied to the first plug 32 until it engages the second plug 34, and the stem 42 removed from its seating engagement with the end of the adjacent conductor 28, whereupon the stem 44 of the second plug 34 is removed from seating engagement with the end of the adjacent conductor 28, and the joint 30 lifted from between the adjacent conductors 28. To couple the joint 30 or restore it to the coupled position of FIG- URE 4, the stem 44 of the second plug 34- is placed in seating engagement with the end of the adjacent conductor 28, whereupon the first plug 32 is moved until it engages the second plug 34, the stem 42 of the first plug then aligned with and inserted into the end of the adjacent conductor 28, and the first plug 32 released, permitting the stem 42 to seat and frictionally-engage the end of the adjacent conductor 28.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination with a monorail consisting of sections arranged in end-to-end relation, each section having opposed spaced vertical surfaces, laterally-disposed spacer insulated plates interposed in the space between and secured to said surfaces, insulators arranged in longitudinal spaced relation disposed within the space between the vertical surfaces of each section and carried by said spacer plates, a tubular conductor extending longitudinally of each section and supported in said insulators and having its ends inwardly of and adjacent the ends of said sections, of an electrical connector and expansion joint embodying a first plug and a second plug arranged in confronting end-to-end spaced relation with respect to said first plug, and means connecting said first and second plugs together for projectile and contractile movement relative to each other, said joint spanning the space between adjacent conductors and having said first and second plugs releasablyengaged in the ends of the adjacent conductors.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said means comprises a fixed tongue carried by one of said plugs and extending into the other of said plugs, the

other of said plugs being connected to said tongue for v projectile and contractile movernent of said other plug relative to said one plug.

3. The combination according to claim 2, wherein said tongue extends slidably into a bore provided in the other of said plugs, and spring means is disposed within said bore which engages the free end of said tongue whereby the other of said plugs is connected to said tongue for projectile and contractile movement of said other plug relative to said one plug.

4. The combination according to claim 3, which includes in addition a first stern projecting from the nonconfronting end of said first plug which seats in and frictionally-engages the end of the adjacent conductor,

i, and a .secondstem projecting from the non-confronting end of saidsecond plug which seats in and frictionallyengages the end of the adjacent conductor.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,167,772 1/1916 McGovern I9l--32 1,433,397 10/1922 Meyer 339--255 2,647,644 8/ 1953 Cieslik.

ARTHUR LA POINT, Primary Examiner.

R. A. BERTSCH, Assistant Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION WITH A MONORAIL CONSISTING OF SECTIONS ARRANGED IN END-TO-END RELATION, EACH SECTION HAVING OPPOSED SPACED VERTICAL SURFACES, LATERALLY-DISPOSED SPACER INSULATED PLATES INTERPOSED IN THE SPACE BETWEEN AND SECURED TO SAID SURFACES, INSULATORS ARRANGED IN LONGITUDINAL SPACED RELATION DISPOSED WITHIN THE SPACE BETWEEN THE VERTICAL SURFACES OF EACH SECTION AND CARRIED BY SAID SPACER PLATES, A TUBULAR CONDUCTOR EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF EACH SECTION AND SUPPORTED IN SAID INSULATORS AND HAVING ITS ENDS INWARDLY OF AND ADJACENT THE ENDS OF SAID SECTIONS, 